


Autumn Harvest

by bloodandcream



Series: Ship all the Ships [26]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Gardens & Gardening, M/M, i don't know why shucking corn together isn't a tag but it definitely should be, shucking corn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 07:12:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3348236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodandcream/pseuds/bloodandcream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was the first summer that Castiel had started coming out for rides with Sam, who had apparently been doing this for years. But today held more in store than just a ride. According to Sam, a farm that was out here opened their produce stands this weekend. Szaley’s, the oldest farm in the area. They sold to local stores and shipped cross country too, but they also opened their turn of the century farmhouse storefront to the people who would venture out into the country to buy straight from them.<br/>Castiel may have been a little excited.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Autumn Harvest

Castiel took a deep breath of the fresh country air and tilted his head towards the sun like a flower. He stood just outside the car enjoying the first peaceful moment away from the smog and noise of the city. When he closed his door, he could see Sam smiling at him across from the car. Sam was a good friend from work, and the one to suggest their rides through the country paths that lay outside the city bounds. Castiel didn’t even know that these parks existed, for as long as he’d lived in the area.

Making his way to the back of the car to help Sam get the bikes off the rack, Castiel was more than ready to go. It was a fantastic day for a ride, sunny but not too hot, and the paths were shaded by overhanging trees. They should get at least twenty miles in today.

This was the first summer that Castiel had started coming out for rides with Sam, who had apparently been doing this for years. But today held more in store than just a ride. According to Sam, a farm that was out here opened their produce stands this weekend. Szaley’s, the oldest farm in the area. They sold to local stores and shipped cross country too, but they also opened their turn of the century farmhouse storefront to the people who would venture out into the country to buy straight from them.

Castiel may have been a little excited.

Sam was an excellent riding partner. They would ride ahead or fall behind each other, but never strayed too far. Sometimes Castiel found himself stopped by the side of the trail to observe a deer through the trees, and Sam would stop with him to look and smile.

They got thirteen miles in down the trail before deciding to turn back. Castiel’s muscles ached with the exertion but in a good way, and by the time they reached the last mile left, he and Sam were caught up to each other and decided to race the rest of the way. Of course Sam won, with those unnaturally long legs of his.

After they’d strapped the bikes back on to the Prius, they took a break for water at one of the benches in the park by the car lot. Chatting amicably, Sam gushed about how great newly married life was. Castiel was so happy he’d finally tied the knot with Jess. No one thought they were going anywhere but marriage, but it was still vicariously exciting to watch.

Castiel felt, occasionally, a little left out when Sam and Jess went on couples things with Dean and Lisa. He was thirty nine and still single. It was difficult to make friends, much less get close enough to anyone to want to cultivate that sort of relationship. Castiel was the sort of person to take things slow. There wasn’t much in the world that waited anymore.

Shaking the morose thoughts off - the day was too nice to linger on less than pleasant things - he stood and stretched while Sam put the water bottles back in the car. The Szaley’s farm was just a few minutes walk down a dirt footpath through the woods. Lines and patches of trees interrupted the rolling fields through these parts, with little streams and even a medium sized river criss crossing through here and there. Castiel didn’t know what he was going to do when summer and autumn were over, maybe they could come out for hiking in the winter.

The farmhouse rose across a field proud and painted pristine white. Near it sat a massive red barn that gleamed in the sun. The barn was painted with a logo bearing the name ‘Szaley’s’. There were gardens of bright flowers surrounding the farmhouse and it’s wrap around porch. The store was actually inside the barn, the large doors swung out to reveal a space repurposed with shelves and display stands. 

Castiel had thought it was by and large a corn farm, but there were stands with large green watermelons, fat butternut squash, plump tomatoes, fluffy heads of lettuce. There was even a row of shelves that had jams with quant old fashioned labels, jars of honey, pickles and relishes. Castiel broke off from Sam to explore every nook and cranny of the store.

He filled his canvas bag with vegetables and splurged on a large jar of raw honey. Wandering outside to find Sam, Castiel explored the gardens around the house, waving at the few customers that were milling about as well. Most people were wearing comfortable clothes like him, meant for running or biking, enjoying the nice weather on the outdoor paths. His gray t-shirt clung to him with sweat, and his face was probably blotchy red, but he felt good from the exercise and didn’t pay mind to it. Ambling back towards the barn, there was a small wooden porch that extended the length of one of it’s sides with wide white painted rockers set out for customers to dally in the sun.

There was a couple sitting towards one end, eating a fresh tub of strawberries. Towards the other sat a man in brown pants and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up shucking corn. He had a table full of bare corn to one side and a brown paper bag full of the husks at his feet. He seemed out of place if compared to the couple in jeans, but absolutely where he should be next to the old farmhouse.

Castiel didn’t see Sam anywhere near, so he found himself drawn towards the other man. He was very handsome in a mature sort of way, a thick beard streaked with salt and pepper tones as well as the curly hair that fell around his ears. He was thick muscled and stoic faced, looking like something out of a period reenactment.

Sitting in a chair next to the table next to the man, Castiel set his bag of produce down and rocked back and forth a minute. It was pleasantly quiet. He felt like asking for an ear to shuck himself. Conversation was never really his strong point. But it was usually how people acquainted themselves with one another. Something simple to start might be good.

“Do you work here?”

The man, who had glanced at him as he approached, looked up from the ear of corn in his lap and gave a nod. “Yeah.”

He went back to shucking, and Castiel rocked.

“You know, I usually boil corn but I hear cooking it in the oven gives it a better flavor.”

“Try roasting it over an open fire with the husks on. Keeps the juices in, adds a little smoke to the sweetness.”

Castiel found himself smiling. “I’ll have to try that.”

Another minute of quiet rocking passed.

“If I may ask, why are you shucking them if you like to cook them with the husks on.”

“Some customers prefer to buy them already shucked.”

“Ah.”

Another minute passed, the low creaking of the rocking chairs on the wood slats and the rustle of the husks lulling Castiel sleepily in the warm sun.

“Would you like a cup of ice tea?”

He looked over to the other man, who had finished husking his corn and stood gathering the bare corn.

“Oh, that, that would be nice thank you.”

Castiel blinked and watched him go, disappearing in to the barn with the corn, then reappearing and crossing the lawn to the farmhouse. A minute later he was settling back down in the rocking chair, passing a glass of ice tea with a little slice of lemon in it over to Castiel.

“Thank you.”

The other man nodded, sipping his tea and rocking back in his chair.

“I’m sorry, I, haven’t asked for your name.”

“Cain.”

Castiel nodded, enjoying the ice tea. It was lightly sweetened, still bitter but just right.

“And yours?”

“Hm?”

“Your name?”

“Oh, sorry, it’s Castiel.”

Cain nodded, and Castiel may have seen a little smile underneath his thick beard. But soon enough the two of them were just rocking again, drinking tea. Castiel caught Sam out of the corner of his eye at the other end of the porch. He was ready to get up and take his bag of produce and leave, but Sam gave him an exaggerated smile and a thumbs up before disappearing around the barn.

So Castiel finished his tea, relaxing in the comfortable quiet with this perhaps odd but very polite gentleman that rocked next to him. When he was finished he set his glass down on the little table and thanked Cain again, they said their goodbyes and parted and that was it.

Sam asked Castiel about it on the ride back to the city. Castiel only smiled and folded his hands in his lap. There wasn’t really anything to tell. Nothing more than the over active fantasies of a lonely mind that ached for some kind of companionship without knowing how to seek it.

-

The next Saturday they went out for their bike ride, Sam told Castiel that he wanted to check out the stream by the park and to go ahead and get what he wanted from Szaley’s alone. Not so subtle. But effective.

Castiel found Cain in the rocking chair at the end of the porch again, shucking corn. He sat down across the little table with it’s mound of golden corn, and asked if Cain would like help. Cain passed him an ear, and they shucked together until the whole pile was done. Without even offering, Cain stood and took the corn into the barn to put on display, then brought two glasses of ice tea back from the farm house.

“I was thinking about starting a small garden at home.”

Castiel had actually been thinking about it for years, but didn’t really know where to start.

“Home grown vegetables are certainly healthier.”

“I’m not sure I’d know where to start. I live in a small row house, and the back yard is entirely concrete. But I’ve started researching roof top gardening.”

“Using raised planter beds?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“That’s certainly doable. Just make sure you make them tall enough for the roots of what you want to grow, and keep the drainage in mind.”

“I’ll have to remember that.”

Cain peered at him, and set down his tea.

“Hold on a minute.”

Castiel nodded, sitting back in the rocking chair and sipping his tea while the other man went back into the farmhouse. He came back several minutes later with a few books in his arms.

“Here, this one might be a bit advanced, but you’ll find good instructions on constructing raised beds in that one.”

“Do you, you don’t mind if I borrow them?”

“By all means. Just bring them back when your done.”

“Thank you.”

Castiel sat quietly next to Cain and flipped through the books while the two of them finished their tea.

-

The next week Castiel had already started planning what he could grow so late in the summer, and what materials he would need for the beds, and how much space he had for it on the roof. The books that Cain had given him had in fact been very helpful. He was more animated and talkative, now that there was something they could both talk about. Cain was more than happy to give him advice and help him pick what plants to grow together and what to sort of soil to use.

Week after week, Castiel came out for his bike rides with Sam and they both bought arm loads of produce from the store. Sam had even started bringing a book to read in the sun while Castiel dawdled with Cain. Every now and then he would get knowing glances and curious smiles from Sam on the car ride home, but all Castiel had to offer him was a shrug. He wasn’t entirely certain what was going on between him and Cain, if there was in fact anything going on. More than likely, the farmer was happy to impart his wisdom on an eager listener.

It didn’t necessarily have to be anything more than that. Castiel was content to have someone he was starting to consider a friend. They talked about growing things and the earth, about the seasons, about birds and wildlife, about bees, about tea and different ways to cook vegetables.

Castiel didn’t have any sort of grill or fireplace, but one of the weekends in there he had managed to convince Dean to try cooking corn with it’s husks on over the grill that he had in his backyard. It was the best corn Castiel had ever had. Even Dean had liked it.

The planter beds that he made on his roof were small, but Castiel tended to them diligently and there were little sprouts of green pushing up past the dark soil. Cain smiled and listened to him talk excitedly about his first little crops. And Castiel listened to Cain’s stories about growing up on the farm and how it had changed over the years. He lived and worked on the farm with his brother and his brother’s family, although he’d never married or had children himself.

As the summer Saturdays wore on and they talked more, Castiel found himself desiring to see Cain more than once a week. He wanted to take Cain to see the ballets in the city park square, or to the antique book shop that always had good finds, or to the locally owned ice cream shop that made up their own flavors week to week. It was perhaps a silly impulse that he hadn’t felt for someone else since he was much younger. But there was something comfortable in spending time with Cain, whether they talked about the garden’s progress or sat quietly shucking corn.

-

The farm would be closing it’s produce shop in a few weeks time. Autumn had already come and the leaves were starting to fall. After the sale of all the pumpkins, and the festive weekends of corn row mazes and hay rides, the place would close up for winter. Castiel was harvesting the last small homegrown plants from his tiny roof top garden and preparing it for winter and the next years spring. He would get a head start.

Cain said that it was a busy time of the year, preparing everything for winter. But he still had several hours every Saturday to sit with Castiel on the porch. Castiel figured he ought to make a move on it. If everything went sour, then he didn’t have to see Cain ever again with the convenient excuse of winter. And if his offer was received well. Then. Well Castiel didn’t know what that but he very much wanted to find out.

They had been sitting on the porch for a while, watching a squirrel scurry around gathering acorns. They had both been quiet today. Castiel took a deep breath before breaking the quiet.

“I actually managed to get a few plump vegetables out my small garden this year.”

Cain sounded genuinely pleased when he said, “That’s good.”

“I don’t think my garden would have succeeded without your advice.”

“I am more than happy to help.”

“Yes. Well. If you’d like, I’d very much like, if you wanted to come over for dinner some time. I’d like to share my harvest with you.”

Cain turned in his chair, leaning over the arm of the rocker. “Took you long enough to ask, city boy.”

Castiel felt himself blushing. He leaned across the arm of his rocker chair. “How do you mean?”

“We’ve been shucking corn for how many months together?”

“About five now?”

“I think we could try other things.”

“Oh?”

“Like dinner.”

“Yes.”

“Like this.”

“Like what?”

Cain leaned across the small space between them and kissed him. Light and chaste, the thick beard he had tickling Castiel but it was warm and sweet and made heart beat faster.

“Oh that.”

“Hm.”

“So you’ll come to dinner?”

“It would be my pleasure.”


End file.
